The Flying Dutchman

The Giant-Alpecin rider romped away with the Gerrit Schulte Trophy after a stunning ride at the Vuelta a España in September, losing out in the end to overall winner Fabio Aru, but taking him to the wire with a series of gutsy performances in the mountains and a time trial win on stage 17.

After a bright start to the year, taking third at the Tour de Suisse, Dimoulin crashed out of the Tour de France with a broken collarbone. His performance in Spain represented a remarkable comeback and points to great things next year from the 25-year-old.

The women’s award went to Anna van der Breggen, the first time in nine years that Marianne Vos hasn’t topped the podium. Van der Breggen, who rides for Vos’s Rabo-Liv team, racked up 12 wins in 2015, including the pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia.